Kingdom Hearts: Kismet
by The E. Kali
Summary: One century after the events of the last Keybearer, Sora, emerges the potential of the Keyblade's new possessor: Gunner. And it's a good thing, too, considering a new breed of Heartless is on the rise, devouring worlds one by one.
1. Chapter 1: It's A Sign!

_I've been pretty out of it for the past few days._

_Wonder why._

…_It feels strange._

_Like I'm waiting for a package to arrive for me in the mail._

_Or… something._

* * *

**World I: Kismet Tundra**

_**Chapter 1**_

"_Gunner…?"_ echoed a distant voice. "…GUNNER!"

"–What?" Gunner snapped out of it and quickly turned to Rumor, "What is it?"

"Your fish–!"

Gunner glanced at the fish he had been cooking on the campfire. Before he snatched it, he considered its unappetizing flesh that had charred to a black crisp while he was daydreaming.

_Looks like I'm skipping lunch…_ he muttered without words. Gunner sighed and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, "Oh well."

Rumor chuckled, offering him a piece of her fish, "Here you go, bozo…"

"Nah," Gunner shook his head, smiling, "I don't need it."

But his hunger betrayed his modesty as a low growl erupted from his stomach. Rumor quickly shoved the fish into his hands before he could object.

Gunner chuckled, "Thanks, Rumor." He took a bite and stretched his chilly hands above the fire to keep warm.

Once Rumor finished her meal, she lay back on the wood floor of their clubhouse. She placed her hands behind her neck as a sort of pillow and gazed at the shabby ceiling. Thin strips of dull sunlight squeezed their way through the ceiling's wooden crevices and onto her face.

"You know, Gunner," she murmured, mentally counting the ceiling's cracks, "you've been out of it for the past few days."

Gunner took his last bite and rubbed his palms together. "How'd you tell?"

Rumor turned her head towards him, "What's up? Is there something wrong?"

Gunner shrugged, "I dunno." He licked his chapped lips, "But I've been having these bizarre dreams lately."

"…About what?"

Rumor's interrogating reminded Gunner how she had always been the curious type. The villagers of Kismet Tundra commonly took her curiosity for recklessness and often didn't take kindly to it, but Gunner didn't think of it like that. He knew that Rumor was just like her father.

A couple years ago, Rumor's father had set sail away from Kismet Tundra's icy shores. He'd claimed he was in search for new worlds. As of yet, he hadn't returned. Many of the villagers assumed he was dead. Even Gunner admitted to believe that (though never in Rumor's presence.)

Despite the villagers' opinions, however, Rumor convinced herself otherwise. She believed her father was alive and living in a new world, far away from Kismet Tundra.

Gunner just hoped that Rumor wouldn't be walking in her father's footsteps anytime soon.

"I don't really remember," Gunner rubbed his palms together. "It's all sort of a haze."

Rumor turned her head back towards the ceiling, "That's funny. I've been having weird dreams, too."

"About…?"

"The West."

Gunner widened his eyes, "You dreamt about the _West?_"

"Yeah," Rumor stood to her feet. "I kinda want to go check it out…"

Gunner looked at her as if she had grown another head. "That place is off-limits, though… it's been blocked off for more than a century."

Rumor smirked, "Well, maybe these dreams are like a sign: a sign that I should explore it!"

Gunner mentally cringed at the fact that she had already begun to take the first step onto the path of her father.

"I don't think that's a good idea," stated Gunner as he stood to his feet. "There's probably a good reason why no one's gone to the West for all those decades… I mean—"

Rumor crossed her arms, "What? You chicken?"

Gunner shook his head, "No! I'm just…" he hesitated. "I'm just being rational."

Rumor elbowed his arm, "C'mon… what if we just took a peak over the wall that blocks it off? You okay with that?"

Gunner pondered this. If he said "no," there was no doubt in his mind that Rumor would continue coming up with reasons to explore the West, and he knew she could convince him into anything. He decided to take the current offer instead of risking being persuaded into actually _stepping into_ the West.

"…Alright."

Rumor grinned, "Alright!"


	2. Chapter 2: The West

**World 1: Kismet Tundra**

_**Chapter 2**_

It took about an hour for Rumor and Gunner to reach the West Wall on foot. Throughout their journey, Gunner felt a continuous tug at his conscious. Oddly enough, it wasn't telling him to head back– it was leading him on.

The wall stood nearly ten feet tall and was built out of stone. Rumor squint her eyes, surveying it. Soon enough, she configured a way to scale to the top.

"You ready?" she asked, facing Gunner.

He nodded hesitantly, "…Yeah."

Rumor clutched a stone that jutted from the wall and slowly began to climb. Gunner followed her lead, climbing at her side. Once at the top, the two of them pulled themselves up, hanging their feet over the side.

Barricaded by the wall was a spread of what looked like a completely different world. Tall pines loomed above the grassy ground, only partially coated in frost. A waterfall cascaded from a rocky cliff side, plunging into a blue pond. Patches of purple flowers hop scotched across the ground, piercing the dull gray tundra with color.

Gunner sat, dumbstruck. _This is the West?_

Rumor seemed to be as amazed as he was. Her mouth stood ajar, not a word able to escape it. Gunner turned to her, "Is this what you saw?"

"Y…eah," Rumor cleared her throat. "Yeah."

Gunner's jaw dropped, "Have you been here before?"

She shook her head, "No, this's my first time."

Gunner leaned in towards Rumor to ask her if she was lying, but his leg slipped off the ledge, causing his body weight to shift. Before he knew it, Gunner was falling off the west side of the wall.

"Gunner!" Rumor quickly jumped off the wall and landed on her feet. Gunner, who landed on his side, wasn't as fortunate.

"Ow…" he grumbled.

Rumor reached her hand for him, "You alright?"

Gunner took her hand and she carefully pulled him to his feet. He held his side with his free hand and winced a bit. "Yeah, I'm good. Probably just bruised."

Rumor bit her lip, "We should head back."

To Gunner's own surprise, he didn't want to leave just yet. His conscious keep pulling at him.

_We could stay a little longer._

Nonetheless, even if Gunner wanted to leave, Rumor realized the two of them were trapped when she turned to the wall.

It was polished smooth.

Her eyes bulged from their sockets. "What the heck?"

"Can't climb it," stated Gunner.

Rumor scratched her head, "Heh, yeah. Nice observation, genius." Her lighthearted insult couldn't hide the fact that she sounded worried.

_That's not normal, _thought Gunner. He'd always been the worrywart of the bunch, but at that moment, the tables had been turned. For once, Gunner felt inspired to explore the unknowns of the West while Rumor felt apprehension.

He took his hand off his side and smiled, "Chill, Rumor, we'll find a way out."

Rumor took a breath and laughed away her unease, "'Course! It's all a sign." She put her hands on her hips. "This is just a way of telling us we should dig deeper and explore."

Gunner beamed. His eager conscious was satisfied.

Rumor halted her spur of energy and looked at Gunner's side, "But are you sure you're fine?"

Gunner nodded, "Yeah, it's no big deal. These coats padded the fall pretty well."

Rumor stood silent for a few moments, then shrugged. The both of them set out away from the wall and further west. They approached the pond and sat at its rocky shore.

Rumor scanned the scenery. "I wonder why they would block off a place like this," she thought aloud.

Gunner picked up a pebble and tossed it onto the pond's surface. It skipped three times before it sunk beneath the water. "Superstition?"

"What could be superstitious about this place?" asked Rumor.

Gunner smiled, picking up another pebble, "Maybe they think of it as 'too much of a good thing.'"


	3. Character Profiles: Ch 1 to 3

**Gunner:**

From: Kismet Tundra

Age: 15

Hair: Reddish-brown, fluffy

Eyes: Silver

Height: 5'8"

Body type: Average, leaning more towards the skinny side.

**Rumor:**

From: Kismet Tundra

Age: 15

Hair: Dark brown, straight, below shoulders

Eyes: Red

Height: 5'5"

Body type: Lean, boyish


End file.
